Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt was today urged to keep a Teesside maternity unit precisely where it is - at the University Hospital of North Tees.

Stockton Council's Health Select Committee this week made a formal submission to the Secretary of State in response to controversial plans put forward last year by Professor Sir Ara Darzi.

The proposals would see consultant-led maternity and children's services removed from North Tees hospital, leaving only a midwife-led maternity unit in its place. Mothers and children needing specialist services would have to go to Hartlepool.

The all-party submission by Stockton urges the Health Secretary to reverse the proposal.

This would mean retaining the Women and Children's Centre of Excellence at North Tees and continuing all paediatric and emergency gynaecology there. At the same time, a midwife-led unit, supported by facilities for surgery such as caesareans, would be developed in Hartlepool.

Councillor Mary Womphrey, chair of Stockton's Health Select Committee, said: "The Committee strongly believes the Darzi proposal is wrong for this area and wrong for our residents. We strongly urge the Minister to reverse it.

"From the very start, it set out with flawed aims. These were based around finding ways to keep maternity services in Hartlepool, with no mention made about the needs of Stockton residents.

"The University Hospital of North Tees is highly regarded as a Centre of Excellence, yet there is no guarantee such quality could simply be moved to Hartlepool."

Six councils were represented on a Joint Scrutiny Committee that has considered the Darzi plan. Four believe that full maternity facilities should be offered at both Stockton and Hartlepool. But Stockton does not consider such provision to be viable or sustainable.

Councillor Ann Cains, Stockton's cabinet member for adult services and health, said: "The very real danger is that if North Tees is left with only a midwife-led unit, it is unlikely to achieve 700 births per annum. If this figure is not achieved, it would close after three years."